Why he Dodged War: Once Was Enough for the Traveling Man His Fourth of July Experience with Explosives in a Patriotic Pennsylvania Town Convinced Him That He Did Not Want to Go to War, p.2
Dublin Core
Title
Why he Dodged War: Once Was Enough for the Traveling Man His Fourth of July Experience with Explosives in a Patriotic Pennsylvania Town Convinced Him That He Did Not Want to Go to War, p.2
Description
"The traveling man who sells hardware remarked that he was afraid he would die of heart disease if he was ever compelled to go to the front. His friends wanted to know what made him think so, and after lighting a fresh cigar he said:
“It was several years ago that I made up my mind to never go to war unless there was great need of men and my decision was not changed.
“Business had been good with me, and landing in a certain Pennsylvania town one Fourth, I determined to take a day off and celebrate the day. The result was that I walked over half the place, attended a picnic in the afternoon, danced until my feet were weary and returned to the hotel for a dinner pretty well tired. So far so good, but I did not know where to stop.
“After dinner a man of my acquaintance proposed that we go out to see the fireworks and off we went determined not to lose an hour of our holiday. The firework display was to be on top of a high hill, almost a mountain, on the edge of the town, and, as I remember it now, that hill went almost straight up and down. We followed the big crowd, through, and at last we reached the top. About everyone in the town was on the summit of that hill before 9 o’clock, when the display was scheduled to begin, and we were crowded and jostled on all sides.
“In due season someone put a big rocket in place and touched it off. It started with a rush, rose high in the air and exploded. While the sparks were falling all the women said ‘Ah!’ long drawn out, and half the folks crowded around to get a better view. There was a woman with a big straw hat right in front of me and I was sidestepping when there was a roar in the middle of the platform where the fireworks were lying. Before anyone knew what was wrong the big skyrocket darted over the heads of a thousand or so spectators, so close that they could feel that rush of air following it.
“A moment later a flourpot began to sprout unexpectedly and seeing the sparks falling all over the platform most of the spectators decided that it was time for them to go. Yours truly was among the number. I started down the hill on a run and was soon making ten foot jumps Even then I was only holding my own with a big fat woman just in front of me and there were some in the crowd who should have been handicapped to anything like an even race.
“We made a quick trip that is my friend and myself, but the skyrockets were going much faster. They kept passing over our heads constantly and once a big wheel of of some kind [ill.] by me going toward the bottom of the hill like a runaway. About a hundred yards from the top of the hill there ran a stone wall perhaps four feet high and some of the high gear sprinters went bang into it. The men and women who did not lose consciousness groaned or screamed when they struck it and hearing the uproar in front of me I slowed up a little and then making out the fence through the darkness vaulted over it with a sigh of relief.
“But my troubles were not ended. It happened that a husky ironworker had chosen shelter behind the fence just when I went over and my feet came down fairly in the middle of his back when I landed. He started to swear like a trooper and half rose to give me a short swing when a sky rocket struck the top of the wall immediately in front of him and stuck there while it sent red and green balls back up the hill in great shape.
“That settled the ironworker. He ducked down in a hurry and before he had time to think of me again I had rolled ten feet away and was sticking to the leeward side of the wall trying to keep my heart from choking me. I succeeded, but it was hard work, and it was really weeks before the effects of my run and the excitement had passed away.
“All the men and women who had passed me in the stampede were keeping as close to the wall as they could, but there were others coming and the early arrivals had troubles of their own. Somehow I escaped, but few of the others were so fortunate. The ironworker was a notable example. Less than ten seconds after the heels of my patent leathers had scraped along his back he suffered another accident. This time he had an encounter with a man of near his own weight who came over the fence dragging a small boy with him.
“They both landed on my would-be antagonist and he gave a yell that could be heard above the noise of the explosions and the cries of those in the crowd. Everyone who could not see him concluded that a rocket had struck him and the woman and girls screamed with renewed energy. No sooner had the man and his boy made their escape than two half-grown girls had plunged over the wall and once more the ironworker yelled. One had landed head and the other on his outstretched arm. The ironworker would have fought them, but no one ventured to say a word while he held forth. He was a marked man, though the persons near him made haste to give him a wide berth. They were content that he should suffer alone. Of course, there were other persons trampled upon, but it seemed to me that he had more than his share of hard luck.
“The next morning I learned that one young woman had been killed by a skyrocket, while several other persons had be hurt. A one-legged tin-horn gambler was declared to be responsible for the premature explosion of the fireworks. After lighting a cigarette it was alleged he threw the burning match into a box of rockets on the platform. I knew nothing about the truth of this, but I decided that week to do a lot of dodgin, before going to war." "- N.Y. Sun.
“It was several years ago that I made up my mind to never go to war unless there was great need of men and my decision was not changed.
“Business had been good with me, and landing in a certain Pennsylvania town one Fourth, I determined to take a day off and celebrate the day. The result was that I walked over half the place, attended a picnic in the afternoon, danced until my feet were weary and returned to the hotel for a dinner pretty well tired. So far so good, but I did not know where to stop.
“After dinner a man of my acquaintance proposed that we go out to see the fireworks and off we went determined not to lose an hour of our holiday. The firework display was to be on top of a high hill, almost a mountain, on the edge of the town, and, as I remember it now, that hill went almost straight up and down. We followed the big crowd, through, and at last we reached the top. About everyone in the town was on the summit of that hill before 9 o’clock, when the display was scheduled to begin, and we were crowded and jostled on all sides.
“In due season someone put a big rocket in place and touched it off. It started with a rush, rose high in the air and exploded. While the sparks were falling all the women said ‘Ah!’ long drawn out, and half the folks crowded around to get a better view. There was a woman with a big straw hat right in front of me and I was sidestepping when there was a roar in the middle of the platform where the fireworks were lying. Before anyone knew what was wrong the big skyrocket darted over the heads of a thousand or so spectators, so close that they could feel that rush of air following it.
“A moment later a flourpot began to sprout unexpectedly and seeing the sparks falling all over the platform most of the spectators decided that it was time for them to go. Yours truly was among the number. I started down the hill on a run and was soon making ten foot jumps Even then I was only holding my own with a big fat woman just in front of me and there were some in the crowd who should have been handicapped to anything like an even race.
“We made a quick trip that is my friend and myself, but the skyrockets were going much faster. They kept passing over our heads constantly and once a big wheel of of some kind [ill.] by me going toward the bottom of the hill like a runaway. About a hundred yards from the top of the hill there ran a stone wall perhaps four feet high and some of the high gear sprinters went bang into it. The men and women who did not lose consciousness groaned or screamed when they struck it and hearing the uproar in front of me I slowed up a little and then making out the fence through the darkness vaulted over it with a sigh of relief.
“But my troubles were not ended. It happened that a husky ironworker had chosen shelter behind the fence just when I went over and my feet came down fairly in the middle of his back when I landed. He started to swear like a trooper and half rose to give me a short swing when a sky rocket struck the top of the wall immediately in front of him and stuck there while it sent red and green balls back up the hill in great shape.
“That settled the ironworker. He ducked down in a hurry and before he had time to think of me again I had rolled ten feet away and was sticking to the leeward side of the wall trying to keep my heart from choking me. I succeeded, but it was hard work, and it was really weeks before the effects of my run and the excitement had passed away.
“All the men and women who had passed me in the stampede were keeping as close to the wall as they could, but there were others coming and the early arrivals had troubles of their own. Somehow I escaped, but few of the others were so fortunate. The ironworker was a notable example. Less than ten seconds after the heels of my patent leathers had scraped along his back he suffered another accident. This time he had an encounter with a man of near his own weight who came over the fence dragging a small boy with him.
“They both landed on my would-be antagonist and he gave a yell that could be heard above the noise of the explosions and the cries of those in the crowd. Everyone who could not see him concluded that a rocket had struck him and the woman and girls screamed with renewed energy. No sooner had the man and his boy made their escape than two half-grown girls had plunged over the wall and once more the ironworker yelled. One had landed head and the other on his outstretched arm. The ironworker would have fought them, but no one ventured to say a word while he held forth. He was a marked man, though the persons near him made haste to give him a wide berth. They were content that he should suffer alone. Of course, there were other persons trampled upon, but it seemed to me that he had more than his share of hard luck.
“The next morning I learned that one young woman had been killed by a skyrocket, while several other persons had be hurt. A one-legged tin-horn gambler was declared to be responsible for the premature explosion of the fireworks. After lighting a cigarette it was alleged he threw the burning match into a box of rockets on the platform. I knew nothing about the truth of this, but I decided that week to do a lot of dodgin, before going to war." "- N.Y. Sun.
Creator
N/A
Publisher
Washington Bee
Date
1900-1-13
Collection
Citation
N/A, “Why he Dodged War: Once Was Enough for the Traveling Man His Fourth of July Experience with Explosives in a Patriotic Pennsylvania Town Convinced Him That He Did Not Want to Go to War, p.2,” African American Fourth of July, accessed April 28, 2024, https://africanamerican4th.omeka.net/items/show/105.